


In Ten Notes Or Less

by pixiealtaira



Series: Advent Drabbles 2016 [11]
Category: Glee
Genre: Gen, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:02:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25944022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pixiealtaira/pseuds/pixiealtaira
Summary: Day 11 2016 Advent drabbles: holiday album/Christmas songs
Series: Advent Drabbles 2016 [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1871245
Kudos: 8





	In Ten Notes Or Less

Kurt might have been in choir but there was no way in hell he was singing in choir. Not while his voice was changing. He was rather certain he sounded like a dying mouse or chipmunk. So singing in choir was not happening.

Fortunately after his discussion with Mr. Krutch, he and his teacher came to an agreement. Since Kurt couldn’t get out of taking choir (because apparently it was the only class option open at the time) but refused to sing, and Mr. Krutch could see his point and agreed that he shouldn’t have to if he felt uncomfortable doing so, Kurt would participate in all other activities and all paper work and theory lessons and would privately show he’d learned the songs and would help out when needed doing housekeeping items.

It worked. And privately Mr. Krutch helped him and a few other boys with similar issues with things they could concentrate on while his voice was breaking…things like understanding phrasing and injecting the right feeling into songs and how changing that feeling injected into the song changes the song and breathing techniques and sight reading and pitch knowledge. Kurt learned how to direct and keep time above what he’d learned in piano lessons. He’d learned more about the dynamics marking in music and how to better use them.

One of the things Kurt provided was playing the piano when the class was focusing on parts. It allowed him to basically melt into the background most of the time. This was good because there were some seriously NUTTY girls in the class. The kind of intense and nutty that made most guys terrified that most girls were like that. When he wasn’t playing and blending into the background, Kurt tucked himself into the middle of the guys of the choir…with the other few who were in the same boat and therefore was still not really in anyone sights.

December brought the only time Kurt Hummel ever wished he played a sport. Most of the guys in choir played basketball. December contained the Jr. High Tournament times. Kurt was one of two boys left in choir class for the last two days of the second week of December. Bryce was a ladies man. He was a very free with his affections ladies’ man. The choir had delivered their Christmas Concert the Tuesday Evening of that second week. Kurt had no piano to hide behind.

Mr. Krutch decided with so many gone they would play games. They would play Name That Song- The Christmas Edition.

Mr. Krutch let the class divide themselves into two groups on Thursday. Kurt ended up on the team with mostly popular flighty girls and Bryce. And the girl with the red hair and glasses that was a certified genius…she had paper work to prove it. The other team had all the very intense scary girls who thought they knew everything about all music whatsoever.

Now, Kurt might not have been singing at the time but it wasn’t because he didn’t know his music.

In the first 10 minutes the team Kurt was on had guessed 80% of the songs played in fewer than five notes. Kurt had answered most of them. Of those not guessed in fewer than five notes, Kurt’s team won most of those before the other team as well.

The other team hadn’t taken it well.

Friday, Kurt came into the class room and was informed it was going to be another game day. The other team had demanded a rematch. The certified genius wasn’t there and the other team (or certain really nutty members of it) insisted that without her Kurt’s team would lose. Kurt laughed.

“I doubt it.” Kurt said. “In fact, I bet I could beat you…just me.”

This was how he ended up facing off against most of the class, except two who chose to sit out, for a rousing edition of Name That Tune-Christmas songs day two.

Kurt sat against the wall, far enough away that he couldn’t cheat and down low enough so he couldn’t cheat by seeing the teacher’s hands on the piano keys.

(If I can tell the song from SEEING the hands move to the keys I will OBVIOUSLY be able to tell the song by hearing those notes…honestly people. My whole outfit is going to be dusty, This floor is filthy!)

He beat out all the religious kids by being able to name off O Come O Come Emmanuel in five notes, as well as With Wondering Awe and The Angel Gabriel From Heaven Came. He beat out the popular kids by knowing Santa Baby in three notes and All I Want For Christmas is You in four. He named The Holly and the Ivy in four and The Chipmunk song in four notes as well. He even knew Grandma’s Featherbed and Alfie The Elf in less than ten notes (and the others didn’t know them at all).

Kurt won. All by himself.

“But he never sings!” shouted little miss know-it-all intense scary face girl with the twitch when she got irritated.

Kurt snorted.

“My voice is changing and I prefer not to sing right now. That doesn’t mean I don’t KNOW music.” Kurt said.

The teacher nodded. “He scores consistently better than everyone else in here on the worksheets about theory. Always.”

There was door slamming as the bell rang and class was over.

“That was fun.” Kurt said as he was leaving.

Mr. Krutch laughed. “It was easy for you, wasn’t it?”

Kurt nodded. “You have to understand. It was NEVER quiet in the house when I was little. Music played non-stop as background noise even when it wasn’t consciously being made. My mom sang and played piano and violin and the saxophone. She hated quiet. She couldn’t handle it. Even if we were watching a movie or TV the radio played in the background. She sang to it constantly. She taught me to sing constantly. I still have a problem not singing to myself in school, or at least humming to myself. My mind plays music...even at rest. And there was NEVER a time that wasn’t appropriate for Christmas music if my mom was in the mood to listen to it. I’ve been singing Christmas songs, and kid’s songs and old ballads and pretty much whatever since before I could speak full sentences. Music is everything...it is breathing and thinking and life.”

Mr. Krutch smiled and nodded. “It is. Good game Kurt and have a good weekend. Don’t let the others get you down.”

Kurt smiled back. “I beat them. Nothing they say will change that. And next week I plan on beating them at any other game we play. And then, we’ll come back from holiday and I’ll go back to being in the background and avoid the focus again. Have a good weekend, Sir.”

Kurt waved and left the classroom. He couldn’t wait until all the crazy girls attentions were somewhere else again, but he was unwilling to play dumb just so that would happen.


End file.
